This invention relates to pulsed laser systems, and in particular to submicrosecond pulsing of so-called long lasers.
The term "long laser" refers to a laser cavity of a length on the order of several kilometers or greater which uses a remote front retroreflector. Long lasers are generally high power devices and the generation of submicrosecond pulses with them is difficult. This has been particularly true when the modulation takes the form of nanosecond pulsing. To date no completely satisfactory method of achieving submicrosecond pulsing of high power long lasers has been developed. The present invention is directed toward accomplishing this end.